Thursday’s Headlines From Around the Nation
Why not take this opportunity to electrify the Postal Service fleet? Click here for that story and more.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on April 23, 2020
- Traffic is down two-thirds nationally, but empty roads mean that some states are facing a spike in speeding drivers. (Stateline)
- Friend of Streetsblog David Roberts suggests that electrifying the U.S. Postal Service fleet would be a great coronavirus stimulus project, reducing air and noise pollution while creating jobs. (Vox)
- A debunked-by-Streetsblog study about New York City transit’s role in spreading coronavirus put the subway smack in the middle of the culture wars. (City Lab)
- Uber and Lyft drivers who’ve lost income to coronavirus are accusing the companies of slow-walking unemployment benefits. (The Hill)
- CleanTechnica takes a crack at the “slow streets” story. It’s happening in Oakland, Boston, Minneapolis and elsewhere — but not South Florida, where the Miami Herald reports that many condo- and apartment-dwellers have nowhere to go outside in their neighborhoods, and in neighborhoods that do have space, residents are angry about the influx of people.
- Milan is one of Europe’s most-polluted cities, and one of the hardest-hit by COVID-19. It has a plan to rapidly expand biking and walking space on city streets as quarantine measures are lifted. (The Guardian)
- King County Metro buses have started passing up stops when a certain number of people are onboard to help maintain social distancing. (Seattle Times)
- Connecticut rediscovered transit in the past decade, but loss of revenue from the coronavirus pandemic could put the brakes on progress. (Mirror)
- The first two stations of Bay Area Rapid Transit’s expansion into Santa Clara County could open this summer. (East Bay Times)
- Houston’s stay-at-home order has delayed testing on a new bus rapid transit line until May. (Chronicle)
- On Earth Day, Vice tells the oral history of how Manhattan residents turned a small vacant lot into a pocket park and community garden in the early 1990s. And Charles Komanoff had his own recollection for Streetsblog NYC.
- This is good for a laugh: Nobody’s driving, but Forbes still thinks parking lots are a great investment.
Blake Aued has been doing Streetsblog's daily national news digest for years. He's also an Atlanta Braves fan, which enrages his editor in New York.
Read More:
Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.
More from Streetsblog USA
Where the Hottest Blocks in Your City Are — And How To Cool Them Down
A cutting-edge tool is helping city leaders identify where they most badly need street trees, bus shelters, and more.
April 15, 2026
Wednesday’s Headlines Hop on Board Carefully
Riding the bus is safe. Walking to and from the bus stop, not so much.
April 15, 2026
What If All Cars Were Autonomous, Electric, and Free?
Can we really solve the problems of car dominance just by making cars less destructive?
April 14, 2026
“Why Do We Do This Bill?”: Preparing Congressional Staff for Surface Transportation Reauthorization
A top advocacy organization is preparing Congress to take a critical look at the upcoming transportation reauthorization — and it's not easy.
April 14, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Try, Try Again
Maybe another climate conference can succeed on phasing out fossil fuels where COP30 failed.
April 14, 2026
